Bradford’s DMP Young Voices Voted ‘Top of the Pops’

The Welcome to Yorkshire and London North East Railway (LNER) competition to discover a new song to celebrate the county reveals Bradford’s DMP Young Voices, from the city’s Dixons Music Primary, the winners. Their Treasures of Yorkshire (lyrics below) song was inspired by the county’s diversity, history, wide-ranging attractions, features, traditions and as a fantastic place to live or visit, with some Yorkshire humour and a rousing chorus and key change at the very end.

DMP Young Voices (Dixons Music Primary, Bradford) – Song for Yorkshire:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0mFvbCh2Zg

Dixons Music Primary is in the heart of Bradford, and Dixons Academies Trust challenges educational and social disadvantage by valuing diversity and building cultural capital in all of its students. The school acknowledged that the Welcome to Yorkshire LNER Song for Yorkshire project allowed them to work collaboratively with students in difficult times during pandemic restrictions.

Competition has been tough, with more than 50 exceptionally high standard Song for Yorkshire entries, but DMP Young Voices has been voted the public’s favourite from the final four, which were selected by lead judge Lizzie Jones MBE and her esteemed panel of Yorkshire talent including Kaiser Chiefs’ Simon Rix, Capital Yorkshire presenter JoJo, stage and screen star Natalie Anderson, TV presenter Luxmy Gopal, LNER Commercial Director Suzanne Donnelly and producer/CEO at Sheffield Theatres Dan Bates.

Lead judge and soprano singer, Lizzie Jones MBE said: “Congratulations to DMP Young Voices on a fantastic Yorkshire song that clearly captured all our hearts. I loved this whole approach and what the school did with such wonderful, melodic, musical magic, it’s exactly what the Song for Yorkshire competition was all about and well done to everyone involved … it was brilliant.”

LNER Commercial Director Suzanne Donnelly said: “It’s been an incredible honour to be part of the Song for Yorkshire judging panel and I’ve been truly blown away by the top talent who have entered. LNER loves bringing people into Yorkshire from far and wide (when Government restrictions allow) and this winning song voted for by the public, Treasures of Yorkshire from DMP Young Voices at Dixons Music Primary in Bradford, is a great way to celebrate and showcase this fantastic county and all it has to offer.”

Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire James Mason said: ”We have all been hugely impressed with the Song for Yorkshire entries and DMP Young Voices’, Treasure of Yorkshire, winning song is a fantastic celebration of the county, with so many wonderful places mentioned. BUT as the lyrics say ‘far too many treasures to put in one song … a list we know is endless and goes on and on’ … so true. Yorkshire is a beautiful, diverse county and this is a truly brilliant way to show it off, regionally, nationally and internationally with the winning Song for Yorkshire.”

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Healthy People and places, said: “We are delighted for the children from Dixons Primary School DMP Young Voices choir, and congratulate them on their win. We are so proud of them. It is such a beautiful song, all about the Treasures of Yorkshire, the amazing people and things that go together to make up our fabulous county. We are so lucky that we get to call this place home. As the lyrics to their song say – full of history, diversity, a culture of which we are proud – sing it from the heart and sing it out loud.”

Congratulations also to the other fantastic finalists: https://www.yorkshire.com/inspiration/song/finalists
Sam Turner – solo
Isolation Club – duo
Shared Harmonies CIC – group

The Welcome to Yorkshire LNER Song for Yorkshire contest has been aimed at aspiring and inspiring singers and songwriters of all ages who were invited to compose an original song, to shout loud and proud about why Yorkshire is such a great place to live, study, work and of course to visit. The competition encouraged entries from a wide range of musical performers, including solo and group performances, bands and choirs, plus an array of genres – from rap, hip-hop and soul, to pop, dance and even folk and classical.

Winners DMP Young Voices will receive a Welcome to Yorkshire LNER Song for Yorkshire trophy, £1,000. cash prize and will perform at a top Yorkshire event TBC once lockdown lifts.

Please celebrate and join in the conversation with Welcome to Yorkshire and LNER on social media using the hashtag #SongForYorkshire